We have heard of high-profile talents given some creative control over ads they are featured in, but never before have we seen a spot take a very interesting and personal addition to the creative.
Continuing with their theme It Comes from Below, which includes the summer spot with Bryce Harper, Under Armour’s released their latest ad featuring NFL star Cam Newton.
The spot, Prince with 1,000 Enemies, launched early Wednesday, opens with Newton standing in a middle of a misty field, a voice over narrates, “All the world will be your enemy, prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you.” Then we see Newton runs through the forest showing off his speed, agility and strength, while on the background we hear a cacophony of growls, drum beats and the stirring voice over.
The ad concludes as Newton emerges from the forest and out on an open road, “Prince with a thousand enemies, never be destroyed.”
According to Adrienne Lofton, Under Armour’s Senior Vice President for Global Brand Marketing, Newton was heavily involved in the creative. “Cam wanted to ensure we brought to life how he feels – he wanted to show the hard work, the dedication and the sheer weight he sometimes feels sitting on his shoulders to be successful for both himself and his team,” Lofton said.
The Carolina Panthers quarterback, last season’s league MVP and Super Bowl runner-up choreographed the run through the forest, and even picked out the clothes he wore. But the biggest influence he had in the creative was having his mother, Jackie Newton, narrate the prose taken from a section of Watership Down, a 1972 novel by Richard Adams.
“When we thought about those challenges – the naysayers, the doubters, the challenges he’s seen and will see – the book, ‘Watership Down,’ came to mind,” added Lofton.
And who better to voice these powerful lines than Newton’s mother who have been with him throughout those challenges – “But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks… Prince with a thousand enemies, never be destroyed.”
Created by ad agency Droga5, the commercial follows the huge success of the athletic apparel company’s March campaign with Michael Phelps’ Rule Yourself, just prior to the Olympic Games.
What do you think of this ad? How do you find the voice over performance of Jackie Newton?
